Tuesday, he made a change. Mattingly said Kenley Jansen will assume the closer's duties and League will be shifted back to eighth-inning duties, his role most of his career.

"We've been trying to stabilize the back of the bullpen from the very beginning," Mattingly said. "It's an unsettling feeling late in games. We haven't given ourselves that many opportunities to win those games, so when you do and then you can't close it, it hurts the whole team."

League has a 6.00 ERA and 1.458 WHIP. Jansen has a 2.53 ERA and 1.000 WHIP. League has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.86. Jansen's is 7.33.

Mattingly had been using Jansen to attack the other team's best hitters, but that doesn't work if the seventh- and ninth-inning relievers can't hold the line. The chore of ending tight games successfully has been short-circuited because League and Ronald Belisario are struggling in tandem.

"I don't know that it works better this way," Mattingly admitted. "I wish I could say we've got the sixth through ninth covered, you get there and it's over. But a lot of teams have bullpen problems."

The Dodgers also brought up some potential reinforcements from Triple-A Albuquerque: outfielder Alex Castellanos and right-handed reliever Chris Withrow. They put Scott Van Slyke, who was dealing with left shoulder bursitis from some awkward outfield dives, on the 15-day disabled list and optioned shortstop Justin Sellers back to Triple-A.

Withrow, 24, was a first-round draft pick in 2007 and was 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 22 appearances this season. He throws a mid-90s fastball. Castellanos, 26, was batting .270 with nine home runs, eight steals and 28 RBIs.

Mark Saxon is a staff writer for ESPNLosAngeles.com. He spent six years at the Orange County Register, and began his career at the Oakland Tribune, where he started an 11-year journey covering Major League Baseball. He has also covered colleges, including USC football and UCLA basketball.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Mark Saxon

Mark Saxon has been a baseball reporter since 1998 and has covered both the Angels and Dodgers for ESPNLosAngeles.com. He previously worked at the Oakland Tribune and Orange County Register.